A Florida doctor died about two weeks after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, and investigations were launched to determine if the shot had any role in the man’s death.
Dr. Gregory Michael, a 56-year-old obstetrician-gynecologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, passed away on January 3rd. Michael received the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on December 18, but he then experienced a “strong reaction” only days later, according to his wife, Heidi Neckelmann.
“In a Facebook post, Michael’s wife, Heidi Neckelmann, said he sought emergency care three days after the shot because he had spots on his skin that indicated internal bleeding,” USA Today reported.
Michael apparently suffered from a severe platelet deficiency, and doctors from across the country allegedly tried to increase his platelet count to ‘no use’. Due to his medical condition, Michael apparently suffered from a hemorrhagic stroke and he died within a few minutes, according to his wife.
The Miami-Dade County Medical Officer’s Office conducted an autopsy on Tuesday and does not rule out the possible link to the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The cause of death depends on the completion of the studies done by the medical examiner and the disease control centers,” Darren Caprara, director of the district office, told the Miami Herald. “The case is still under investigation, so nothing has been settled.”
Caprara said the cause of the doctor’s death would be released after the medical examiner completed his investigation in collaboration with other agencies.
A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the agency was “aware” of a death in Florida reported from an individual who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, about two weeks before he died. ‘
“CDC will evaluate the situation as more information becomes available and provide the timely updates on what is known and all necessary action,” the CDC spokesman said. “It has been a difficult year because each of us is struggling with a global pandemic. The use of COVID-19 vaccines is the next step in our efforts to protect Americans and reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. . “
Pfizer released a statement on the death: “Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of the death of a health worker sixteen days after receiving a first dose” of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“This is a very unusual clinical case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that reduces the body’s ability to clot blood and stop internal bleeding,” the pharmaceutical company noted. “We are actively investigating this matter, but at the moment we do not believe there is any direct connection with the vaccine.”
The Mayo Clinic defines thrombocytopenia as a “condition in which you have a low platelet count”, where “the platelet count can be so low that dangerous internal bleeding occurs.” Thrombocytopenia “may occur due to a bone marrow disorder such as leukemia or an immune system problem. Or it may be a side effect of using certain medications.”
Pfizer said: “No related safety signals have been identified in our clinical trials, the experience after marketing so far or with the mRNA vaccine platform.”
“To date, millions of people have been vaccinated and we are monitoring all adverse events in individuals receiving our vaccine,” Pfizer continued. “It is important to note that serious adverse events, including non – vaccine – related deaths, are unfortunately likely to occur at a similar rate as in the general population.”
According to Bloomberg’s COVID-19 vaccine detection, 6.25 million doses have been administered in the United States since vaccinations began on December 14. 17.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in 38 countries.
The Mount Sinai Medical Center issued a statement stating that “the appropriate agencies will be contacted immediately and we have full cooperation.” The hospital said it “could not confirm or deny any information about any patient” due to medical privacy laws.
The Miami-Dade County Medical Office, the Florida Department of Health, the CDC and Pfizer are all investigating Michael’s death.
“The CDC and FDA are responsible for reviewing COVID-19 vaccine safety data and submitting the information for federal recommendations on vaccine administration,” Jason Mahon, Florida’s communications director for emergency management, told USA Today. “The state will continue to provide all available information to the CDC while they conduct this investigation.”
According to the Facebook account, it belongs to the doctor’s wife, and her ‘very healthy’ husband is an advocate for the vaccine and therefore he got it himself. The message added: “I believe that people should be aware that side effects can happen, that it is not good for everyone and in this case destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family, and destroyed so many people in “Do not let his death be in vain, save even more lives by making this information news.”
Michael leaves behind his wife and a daughter.